Hong Kong International Airport reports strong passenger and cargo growth in first half of 2026

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) continued its recovery in June 2026, handling 5.12 million passengers, up 7.9% year-on-year, while aircraft movements increased 2.3% to 31,940. Growth was driven by a strong increase in transfer and transit traffic, with Japan and mainland China among the strongest-performing markets.

Cargo throughput also remained robust, rising 6.8% to 436,000 tonnes, supported by a 19.5% increase in transshipment volumes and continued growth in imports and exports. Traffic to and from the Middle East returned to growth despite the ongoing regional conflict.

During the first six months of 2026, HKIA handled 32.8 million passengers (+11.7%), 200,685 flight movements (+4.4%) and 2.5 million tonnes of cargo (+4.1%). On a rolling 12-month basis, the airport served 64.4 million passengers and processed 5.17 million tonnes of cargo.

HKIA also received several international industry awards, including “Airport of the Year – Major Cargo Hub” at the World Air Cargo Awards for the second consecutive year and “Best Global Airport” at the Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain Awards for the 11th straight year.

The airport further announced that its cargo community has become the first airport cargo ecosystem to adopt the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) framework, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and environmental performance across the cargo supply chain.